Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Bogotá's Beleaguered Mayor

Samuel Moreno Rojas won Bogotá's mayor's office in 2007 on the strength of a smile and a promise - to build a subway system.

Three years later, the subway is still uncertain and bogotanos are complaining about the terrible traffic jams contributed to by way-behind-schedule work on Transmilenio lines on Carrera 10 and 26th St. (which goes to the airport).

El Dorado Avenue; All dug up as far as the eye can see.

There've been lots of allegations of involvement by the mayor and a relative in cost overruns by the Nule clan, who had the original contract for the Transmilenio line to the airport. As a result, authorities recently seized the mayor's income and assets. Predictably, his approval rating was recently pegged at 18%.But Moreno's refused to resign.

But, for all the possible corruption and bad planning involved in these road projects, they had to be done, and so it's partially unfair for Moreno to get all of the flack. Perhaps, when the projects finally get wrapped up - and if Moreno stays out of prison - he'll be remembered positively for moving the city ahead - albeit painfully.